That was a long journey but I thought I'd post back here just to say I've been off Diazepam since yesterday. This will be my second attempt at stopping.
That was a long journey but I thought I'd post back here just to say I've been off Diazepam since yesterday. This will be my second attempt at stopping.
"I'd Rather Live Than Live Forever"
Well done Steve that's great unfortunately Im still on it due to another family bereavement but hoping to reduce my dose again soon x x
You were given this life because you are strong enough to live it x x x x x x x x
Sorry to hear that Nic! I hope everything is ok! :(
Well I failed too. I was having my dinner at 5pm and I completely lost reality for a few seconds and zoned out in extreme derealisation. Had to take 2mg PRN. It worked wonderfully for a couple of hours but I've had that horrible depersonalisation feeling since 7pm.
I seem to be jumpy at every sound and I just don't feel right at all. I doubt it's the withdrawal so I imagine that a big part of it is psychological.
"I'd Rather Live Than Live Forever"
Hi from Australia M8.
This is really interesting, I was placed on Diazepam for virtually the same reasons you were stevo and here's the weird part... I was prescribed 5mg when needed, so I was taking about 5-10mgs per day. I stopped cold turkey after only 2 weeks of use because I found that the comedown/crash-down far outweighed the negative symptoms of my panic attacks. If I took 5mgs when a panic attack was happening, it would calm me down for say 4 hours or so then, for the next 2-3 days, a living hell.
My comedown symptoms were exactly as you described without any differentiation what so ever:
"-VERY SEVERE Depersonalisation/derealisation. It no longer seems that anything around me is real life. It doesn't feel like reality. Without a doubt the most frightening and annoying symptom.
- Insomnia. It's taking me hours to try and get to sleep at night.
- Anhedonia. I have been suffering a severe lack of interest in life since March and it has worsened recently. I'm currently bed bound and have been for 3 months.
- Muscle twitches.
- Sweating
- Vivid dreams (?), I've been experiencing these very strongly since before I took my first diazepam back in very early January, since I've been back on SSRI's but I think these also might be to blame.
- Increased anxiety. Very jumpy, very scared of everything, nothing gives me comfort and relief.
- Agoraphobia (due to a mix of all the above symptoms). "
I'm also on SSRI's (Zoloft & Endronax) max dose for both, been on them for 10 years now, would you think that my severe reactive comedown would have something to-do with medication interactions or is this just the double edged sword of diazepam?
Anyway, doctors now got me taking 'Melatonin' 2mg daily for sleep. it apparently used to be a herb supplement available at any kmart but now its a fully controlled drug/hormone available under prescription only.
Opinions, comments...
You know it's really really interesting you say that!!
Firstly, diazepam and SSRI's don't react with each other so that shouldn't be an issue at all. I can probably place all my money on the problems being diazepam!
It's no wonder why it's a class C drug here in the UK meaning if caught with some and it's not prescribed, you can go to prison!!!
I basically came into hospital with the DP/DR symptoms as they have been the most scary for me but the less I take diazepam, the less these symptoms happen. I've successfully been on just 0.5mg a day for 7 days now and my symptoms are getting less and less. The insomnia is still there and as for my dreaming.... it's horrible! I watched Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels last night and for practically the entire night, I had such strong dreams that I was in that film and being shot at!!
My muscles too are twitching and yes, agoraphobia.
Basically, this episode of anxiety happened because I came off my medication in October but my DP/DR and agoraphobia only really started to happen badly once I realised that the diazepam was no longer working so I was in a tolerance stage. It's taken me almost 5 months to get down to just 0.5ml a day. I will NEVER EVER take it daily for as long as I live because the withdrawing stage is just so much worse than the reason I took the drug! I've been bedbound properly since this happened too and only just starting to get myself outside.
How long were you taking the diazepam for? And are you back on it now with a view to come off slowly or are you still gritting your teeth with the cold turkey symptoms? I really really recommend tapering off this drug as slow as possible. Even the toughest of people get anxiety if coming off this drug cold turkey!
Steven
"I'd Rather Live Than Live Forever"
How are you guys doing now if you’d can read this
Iv'e been on and off Valium (diazepam ) for 40 + years and on a regular daily does between 6-8 mg daily . I get 28 x2mg per week . The don't work any more as tolerance has built up so decided to quit cold turkey and lasted about 16 days up until Saturday 11 aug when I decided to have a drink which led to too many drinks and on Sunday I felt so bad with the hangover I started back on 8 mg of diazepam then this morning took 8mg .
These are hellish drugs to withdraw from and my short alcohol binge only made it more unbearable .
I see my addiction specialist on Thursday this week and I'm hoping she sets a tapering off plan for me as I'm not going CT again .
It is a good idea to read "the Ashton manual " http://w-bad.org/abouttheashtonmanual/ I learned a lot about benzodiazepine here .
Last edited by tamo; 13-08-18 at 09:40.__________________
Love and peace
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